A day head of veteran Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham’s proposed six-day Padayatra to be started from Ravulapalem, tomorrow in East Godavari district, the police started taking precautionary measures by putting all Kapu leaders under house arrest.
Mudragada’s village Kirlampudi looks like police fortress with the deployment of large scale police. Police announced that Mudragada was kept in `house arrest’ for 24 hours. Similarly, they said Akula Ramakrishna and other Kapu leaders were also kept under house arrest.
Earlier in the day DGP N Sambasiva Rao said that there is no question of allowing Mudragada’s agitation. While Mudragada refuse to seek police permission, he said moreover earlier experiences like Tuni incident makes the police suspect possibility of violence.
The Kapu Satyagraha Yatra by former minister Mudragada Padmanabham scheduled to be held from January 25 and the rally was planned from Ravulapalem to reach Antarvedi in West Godavari district, via Amalapuram, to be completed on January 31.
Earlier two days ago, the district police superintendent M Ravi Prakash said that it was denied permission as no formal request for approval has been sought. As per the Supreme Court guidelines, he said that police permission is a must for padayatras. He also said that the B C Association had applied for permission to organise a bike rally, which was also rejected.
Meanwhile, Kapu Sangham state coordinator Vasireddy Yesudas said they would organise the padayatra at any cost with or without police permission. “Did Chandrababu Naidu taken permission for Mee Kosam Padayatra in the state? When a political party which has to honour the constitution did not take permission, why should a small caste association ask the police,” he questioned.
